Charly Parkhurst’s Legendary Life of Lies
Sometimes, just existing is such a task.
A college roommate said that to me many years ago. For some reason, I thought of that when I researched the story of Charly Parkhurst. She carried an amazing, isolating secret for over thirty years…
Born in 1812, Charly lost her parents at an early age and wound up in an orphanage in New Hampshire. Either she escaped or they let her go, but when Charly was old enough to take care of herself, she skedaddled. Probably in her early teens. Somehow, she stumbled upon a job with Ebenezer Balch’s livery in Worcester. Working with horses would set her destiny. Charly became one of the Wild West’s most famous stagecoach drivers.
She worked for Balch for several years, then suddenly struck out for California at the height of the gold rush. Skilled, reliable, sober stagecoach drivers were in short supply so she pretty much walked into a job. And the woman proved her metal. She was robbed twice. The first time she was unarmed, the second time the robber chose the wrong victim. Charly shot him dead. Road conditions were abhorrent in Northern California. If Charly wasn’t worrying about bandits or renegade Indians, she was crossing swollen rivers, navigating rickety bridges, driving in ice and snow, and, of course, battling ornery horses. To her credit, she never lost a coach.
Charly liked whiskey and cigars. She could fight and cuss with the toughest of men and did. Small in stature, she was tough as an oak but reclusive. Not many people got close to Charly. She was always picky about her privacy and lived alone her whole life.
Eventually, the demands of driving teams of horses up rugged mountain roads got to be too much for her. She “retired” and dabbled in ranching, and raising chickens. She even worked as a lumberjack for a spell.
Now all this is impressive, but there’s one other thing you need to know about Charly. She lived this remarkable life…as a man.
From approximately 1849 or so to 1879, Charlene Parkhurst’s gender was her deepest secret. The truth was only discovered upon her death. The town doctor, as well as the coroner, also believed that at some point in her life, Charly had given birth at least once. And baby items (either a dress or shoes—accounts differ) were found in a chest at her home.
So why did Charly live her life as a man? I find it interesting that she worked with Balch for several years, even moving with him to Rhode Island, then she suddenly struck out on her own. What if, at some point, Balch discovered that Charly was a woman? According to accounts from the time of Charly’s death, she was “well-endowed,” but hid her curves under baggy, pleated shirts. What if Balch didn’t like being lied to? What if he wasn’t a very nice man?
I realize that’s a heavy dose of speculation. But a small, petite orphan girl would have been easy prey. A young man on the other hand…
A gender-bender or a woman hiding from her past? Will we ever know? What do you think?
Copyright 2014 Heather Blanton
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Posted on May 15, 2014, in Uncategorized and tagged a lady in defiance, AMC's Hell on Wheels, AMC's Turn, American women, American Women in the Revolutionary War, Annie Oakley, Battle of Lexington and Concord, Buffalo Bill Cody, Charly Parkhurst, christian fiction, Colonial America, Daughters of the American Revolution, Eliza Lucas Pinckney, Female Patriots, Frank Butler, George Washington, heather blanton, heather frey blanton, hiding gender, historical fiction, historical romance, indigo, Meliscent Barrett, patriots, Shirley Plantation, south carolina history, Stagecoach Drivers, Turn on AMC, unsung heroines of the American Revolution, War for Independence, what was the revolutionary war, Wild West Shows, women entrepreneurs, Women living as men, Women of the Wild West, Women Sharpshooters, women who fought in the american revolution, women who helped win the Revolutionary War, women's history. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
Ladies in Defiance 
I think she learned at a young age that she had to take care of herself — no one else would. Most of the time orphanages would just turn girls out when they reached a certain age. I can only imagine the distasteful situations she was exposed to until she decided to dress like a man. Just my opinion, but I think she did it out of necessity and, like you said, to seize the opportunity.
Thanks, Angie, for your comment. In researching this, I found several articles that referred to her as a “he.” That bothers me, and not jut because it’s may be politically correct. I feel like it is presumptuous to assume she would have written of herself as a man. I didn’t mention it in the article, but at one point she had too much to drink and the family she was staying with decided to bunk her with their 14-year-old son. She admitted to the boy she was female. Just makes you wonder…